Than One Yota of Difference Russian Wimax Service Provider Yota Succeeds by Offering an Innovative Service—And Exporting It Abroad

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More than one Yota of difference Russian WiMAX service provider Yota succeeds by offering an innovative service—and exporting it abroad

• With 350,000 subscribers, Yota is one of the fastest growing WiMAX service providers—and one with a highly innovative business model. • Yota continues to expand. In Russia, its network will cover 180 cities by 2012. It has just launched a network in Nicaragua, and next on its list are Belarus and Peru. • At Yota, the focus is not on technology, but on the customers: making sure they have the devices, applications, and bandwidth they want, making it easier for them to sign up, and giving them a compelling service.

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

Yota is busy these days. The first Russian service provider to deploy tier cities, it will face a more price-sensitive, but largely a mobile WiMAX network, Yota has signed up over 350,000 underserved market. customers in the six months since its commercial launch in June 2009 (Table 1). It continues to sign up 3,000 customers a day, and is The Russian wireline fixed market is very competitive. In Moscow the first service provider to have launched a WiMAX/GSM and St. Petersburg, multiple service providers offer broadband smartphone. While expanding domestically, Yota has also soft- services over different access technologies (DSL, fiber, fixed launched a WiMAX network in Managua, Nicaragua, and is wireless), often at rock-bottom prices. In this market, Yota does not planning for networks in Belarus and Peru. aim to be the lowest-cost provider, betting that customers are willing to pay for the benefit of unlimited access and mobility. As a greenfield service provider new to the telecom market, deploying a new technology and a new type of service, Yota’s success is remarkable. The company has avoided the common Table 1. Key Yota facts as of December 2009 trend among emerging market operators of focusing on basic fixed broadband connectivity in underserved areas. Instead it offers Key Yota facts as of December 2009 mobile broadband connectivity in cities where 3G is available, and Commercial launch: June 2009 where wireline broadband, including residential fiber in some Spectrum: 30-40 MHz in the 2.5 GHz band areas, is available and cheap. Customers: more than 350,000 This paper explores what made Yota’s achievements possible, and Average traffic per customer: 10 GB/month what lies at the core of its unique market approach. We look at the Employees: 1,200 market in which it operates, at how it is building and expanding its Domestic coverage: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa (commercial), network, and at the proposition it offers to its customers in terms Sochi and Krasnodar (soft launch) of services, devices, content and applications. Finally we widen the scope to follow Yota’s activities in markets outside Russia and to Vendors: Samsung (WiMAX RAN), Cisco (fiber backhaul, core), look at future prospects. Bridgewater (authentication, authorization and accounting [AAA]) Pops covered: 23 million Backhaul: built 3,000 km own-fiber backhaul network with up Winning market share in to 180 Gbps bandwidth Devices supported: over 50 laptops, 1 WiMAX/GSM the Russian market smartphone, 2 laptop dongles, 2 desktop modems with Wi-Fi Service plans: US$29 for laptops or desktop modems, US$16 Russia has one of the highest levels of WiMAX activity worldwide. for smartphones More than 20 operators have declared ambitious deployment Investment: US$470 million for Russian market invested to plans, often backed by deep-pocket investors or parent companies. date, plus an additional US$350 million for further Russian expansion and US$500 million for international deployments While Russia has great growth prospects, it is also a challenging Ownership: WiMAX Holding Ltd., with a 25.1% share owned by market (Table 2). Outside Moscow and St. Petersburg, broadband Rostechnologii State Corporation penetration is still very low (6.4% of population, compared to 20% of population in Moscow). Yota targeted these two urban areas International markets: Belarus, Nicaragua (soft launch), Peru initially for a mobile broadband service intended for the affluent 2012 target: service available in 180 Russian cities with a and technology-savvy customer segment. As it moves to second population of over 100,000 Source: Yota

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

Fixed wireless and wireline operators are not Yota’s only There are many fixed BWA and WiMAX operators in urban areas, competitors. Yota’s primary targets are mobile users who want to but they are mostly niche market operators, with fewer than have a broadband connection everywhere they go. As a result, Yota 10,000 subscribers. Three other IEEE 802.16e WiMAX operators, competes also with cellular operators, although their propositions Comstar, Freshtel and Synterra, have announced network to subscribers vary. After years of operation, cellular operators launches. They have not released subscriber numbers, but their boast excellent coverage, but they charge premium prices. With marketing efforts are much less aggressive than Yota’s. the more advanced WiMAX technology, Yota offers higher data speeds at lower per-MB prices than cellular operators, but cannot yet compete on nationwide coverage.

3G has been introduced only recently in Russia and so far only in A new breed of mobile urban areas. Construction of 3G networks in Moscow was approved in December 2009, and three operators (Mobile broadband service TeleSystems, Vimpelcom and Megafon) have launched in early 2010 their 3G networks. Despite a mobile penetration well over provider 100%, cellular data revenues are still low compared to developed countries. As a result, competitive pressure forces Yota to keep Dennis Sverdlov, Yota’s General Director, tirelessly promotes Yota’s prices relatively low compared to mobile WiMAX operators in vision to audiences worldwide. His focus is not on what WiMAX— developed countries. In the markets where 3G is available, Yota has or technology in general--allows a service provider to do; instead, not seen any impact of the 3G service availability on its customer he talks about what customers want, and what they are willing to take up, suggesting that Yota has been successful at differentiating pay for. The challenge for a service provider is to find the most its services from those offered by mobile operators. suitable technologies to meet these requirements—and Sverdlov believes that WiMAX fits the bill. While this may seem like an obvious approach, it can be revolutionary for operators Table 2. Russian telecoms market accustomed to loudly advertising the technology—3G, WiMAX, or LTE—rather than the services that they sell. Russian telecom market Perhaps not surprisingly, Yota insists that it is not a WiMAX Broadband penetration: 6.4% of population, with operator. It claims to be a mobile service provider that decided to approximately half of subscriptions in Moscow and St. use WiMAX to meet the needs of its customers (Yota is very careful Petersburg. In Moscow, broadband penetration is over 20% of not to refer to them as subscribers). Yota does indeed have a population, equivalent to more than 60% of households strong commitment to WiMAX, but the distinction reflects the Internet penetration: 32% company belief that a successful service provider needs much Mobile phone penetration: 144% more than a good radio access network (RAN) to attract customers. Fixed phone penetration: 23% “This approach has led the management team to work sometimes 3G networks recently launched in urban areas against the accepted wisdom of what can and cannot be done, and Mobile ARPU: US$9 chart a new path,” explains Shane Kwon, Senior Manager in the Data ARPU: 17% or US$1.53 CIS/EMEA Sales and Marketing Group at Samsung, who has been Other mobile WiMAX operators: Comstar (commercial, 2.5 working with Yota during the rollout of the network. The prevalent GHz), Freshtel (soft launch, 3.5 GHz), Synterra (commercial, 2.5 IT and consulting—as opposed to telecom—background of Yota’s GHz, mostly pre-WiMAX) management has been instrumental in creating a culture focused Source: ITU, mobile operators, Ovum, on results and with little respect for legacy offerings. Risk taking Russian Federal State Statistics Service, WiMAX Forum, Yota

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

km backhaul network can carry up to 180 Gbps and provides 200 What makes Yota stand out among Mbps per cell site. While this is more throughput than the current mobile data operators? RAN can generate, it will allow Yota to increase RAN capacity “A group of young ambitious people without having to upgrade the backhaul. excited to be in a startup company but with limited telecoms background, The deployment of the backhaul network required a substantial supported by brave investors, focused on effort—about half of the capex invested to date in the project was a single goal: to provide great service to allocated to backhaul. their customers,” says Dennis Sverdlov, With the backhaul in place, Yota started to deploy the RAN WiMAX Yota’s General Director. network with IEEE 802.16e equipment from Samsung. From the very beginning, Yota decided to work with a single vendor in all markets to speed up the deployment process. Using the same and acknowledgement of unresolved problems are equally equipment, Yota has been able to expand to new markets and to encouraged. take advantage of experience gained in previous installations. This approach, which worked well given Yota’s initially limited staff Yota’s vision is based on few simple tenets: resources for installation, has also been followed in the international expansion. Samsung is providing the WiMAX base . Simplicity stations both in Nicaragua and Belarus.

. Unlimited access The network expansion in the served markets is still ongoing to . Mobility improve coverage and to increase capacity. Today, Yota estimates to have 3,000 base stations in Moscow alone, with a density of up . Focus on services to 10 base stations per 1 km2 in some certain areas. Most base Innovation at Yota springs from the team’s commitment to execute stations in urban areas are on buildings’ roofs. on these principles, no matter what it takes.

Table 3. Yota's chronology Building the network Yota’s chronology September 2008: Moscow and St. Petersburg soft launch

Since launch, Yota has promised unlimited, high-speed, mobile April 2009: Business users commercial launch access to its customers. Careful planning was necessary to meet June 2009: Residential users commercial launch in Moscow and customers’ expectations. St. Petersburg

The planning started with the backhaul. Yota wanted to use fiber August 2009: 100,000 customer mark reached but was unable to find a suitable service provider that both had October 2009: Ufa commercial launch fiber connectivity to most urban planned cell sites and could provide effective support services. To ensure it had the required October 2009: 200,000 customer mark reached; operational backhaul capacity and service level guarantees, Yota decided to break-even point reached build its own backhaul network, which links all urban and most November 2009: Sochi and Krasnodar soft launch suburban cell sites through fiber. Yota uses just a few microwave December 2009: Soft launch in Managua, Nicaragua links in suburban locations where fiber is not available. Yota’s 3,000 Source: Yota

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

To provide better indoor coverage, Yota has started to install All wireless operators—especially successful ones that see rapid picocells in public buildings like airports and malls, but dealing with customer growth—face this issue regardless of technology they real estate owners can be challenging and picocells do not always use. Yota has been more open than most operators in discussing provide cost savings over the macro cell network. According to the implications of the growth in data traffic. Yota, the lower power of picocells makes them less well suited for outdoor coverage. The growth in traffic is mainly driven by video content. Cellular operators have also discovered that video is a major contributor to network congestion. For a WiMAX service provider like Yota, the increase in traffic from video content has an even more profound impact than for cellular operators: most WiMAX devices are Traffic: too much of a laptops, with large screens and capable of handling high video resolutions, which raises the throughput requirements of these good thing? devices.

Yota customers are heavy users, and the traffic they generate is As video is a main driver of the demand for service, Yota is increasing at a fast pace. In May 2009, the average traffic per committed to support high-quality video streams, and to avoid customer was 8 GB/month—a mere seven months later, average throttling or assigning a lower priority to video. traffic per customer had reached 10 GB/month. As is typically the case, only a small percentage of users generate most of the The levels of traffic Yota experiences are 20% higher than those traffic—26% of its users generate more than the average 10 generated by xDSL customers. According to Yota’s estimates, the GB/month in May 2009 (Figure 1). traffic generated by their customers is 100 times the data traffic generated by GPRS, EDGE and 3G customers. Network capacity High traffic levels are a sign that customers use the service limitations alone explain to a large extent the lower traffic level for extensively and value it. As long as customers are few, high traffic cellular customers. The higher usage compared to DSL customers is levels are easily accommodated within the infrastructure. As interesting, however, because DSL is more often shared among customer numbers increase, congestion rapidly becomes an issue if multiple PCs in a household or office than is WiMAX. A likely reason the network capacity does not grow. for the difference is the impact of mobility on usage and the prevalence of traffic caps for DSL plans in Russia.

Mobile broadband is still a new service. Service providers still are learning how to best market it and price it. Customers are learning, too—and finding out that mobility is highly valuable. Data collected by Yota in April and September 2009 (Figure 2) show that the percentage of fixed customers—i.e., those who access the network from the same cell site—quickly decreases over time as customers learn to make wider use of their connection and log in from multiple locations. The increasing maturity of the market means more online time and further increases in traffic, spread over a Source: Yota wider geographical area.

Figure 1. Traffic usage distribution among customers

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

Ivanov estimates that Yota needs 100 customers per base station sector to be profitable.

Even if the additional investment in capex to install additional base stations were not an issue, spectrum availability would quickly become a barrier. In some areas in Moscow, there are already 10 base stations per km2, and such high density can easily lead to interference. Ivanov estimates that Yota would need to deploy six times as many base stations to meet the expected demand in the long term. To do so, Yota would need additional spectrum.

This position reflects an increasing realization among WiMAX and LTE operators that operators need large spectrum allocations— over the 30 MHz that they initially considered sufficient– to support wireless broadband services.

Yota is also working to increase capacity within each base station by deploying multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) and beamforming (BF). Furthermore, Yota has announced a trial of WiMAX Release 2.0 (IEEE 802.16m) for late 2010 and expects to upgrade to the new technology in 2011. WiMAX 2.0 is expected to more than double the capacity of base stations.

More base stations, more spectrum, and higher base station Source: Yota capacity will make it possible for Yota to increase network capacity as it signs up new customers. But will this increased capacity be Figure 2. Users by categories in April and September 2009 enough to keep pace with the growth in traffic? If not, will Yota decide to introduce fair-usage policies or traffic caps, or to manage traffic from heavy users and during peak hours? Expanding capacity

What can be done to accommodate the additional traffic Reaching out to generated by new customers and to support increasing individual traffic levels? customers

According to Yegor Ivanov, Vice President of Business Development During the initial phase of a market launch, Yota makes its service at Yota, the network was planned to support a contention ratio (or available for free, to get potential customers interested and oversubscription) of 10, which is generous compared to prevailing committed beyond the initial phase. A restricted group of friendly practice among broadband service providers worldwide. Currently, users receive a free device in exchange of feedback on network Yota’s customers generate traffic levels that require a contention performance. However, free service before commercial launch is ratio of 3—and Yota expect this figure to decrease further in the available to everybody who applies; but as a sign of commitment, future as individual traffic levels grow. Adding base stations will increase the capacity, but eventually profitability comes into play.

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

users have to buy their own device (i.e., laptop dongle, WiMAX Table 5). They can pay directly at the store, by credit card, by short laptop, smartphone, or desktop modem). message service (SMS), at automated teller machines (ATMs), or at a cash machine. Because this is predominantly a cash market, This approach gives Yota the opportunity to optimize its network many customers pay for their subscriptions at instant payment during the installation phase on the basis of real user data—where terminals, as they do for their mobile phones. they are, what they do, what can go wrong. As network is still being rolled out, Yota believes it is fair not to charge users as the service provider cannot guarantee the levels of coverage and performance Table 4. Service plans that are expected from commercial paid service. Plan Description In Krasnodar, 6,000 people signed up on the first day the free Yota Mini For laptops and desktops: service became available. Yota had to stop user devices sales RUB900 Unlimited internet access during the first month as the traffic already exceeded the planned (US$29) level of network capacity at commercial launch. Yota Music, Yota Video Demo, Yota TV, Yap-Yap

For smartphones: In the markets where service is commercially available, the only Yota Max Unlimited internet access choice that Yota customers need to make is about the device to RUB500 use—no further decision on contract options is needed. For each (US$16) Yota Music, Yota Video Demo, Yota TV, Yap-Yap device type—i.e., smartphone or laptop—there is only one plan Use as modem for laptop connection allowed (Yota Max and Yota Mini), which includes unlimited service and is Yota Day offered on the same terms to all customers (Table 4). The only RUB60 Unlimited internet access for 24 hours (US$1.60) exception is a daily pass that occasional users can purchase for a 24-hour access to the network. Source: Yota

Simplicity is one of the most important guiding principles at Yota. The service has to be simple to buy, to connect, and to use. When a Table 5. Payment options customer is ready to sign up and pay for service, Yota’s commitment to simplicity stands out. How to pay for service: making it easy for customers Instant payment terminals Yota Mini and Yota Max fees must be paid at the beginning of every month to keep the service active. There is no penalty for Bank ATMs discontinuing or for temporarily deactivating the service, and there Yota’s offices, stores and customer service centers is no signup fee. Because there is no long-term contract and the service is prepaid, customers’ credit history is not verified, making it Electronic money (Yandex Money, Webmoney, RBK Money, easier and cheaper for Yota to sign up customers. The signup MoneyMail, WebCreds) process is similar to that for prepaid cellular accounts. Credit cards

The customer has the freedom to buy a device online or from a Internet banking store, and directly from Yota or from an independent retailer. SMS Devices are not subsidized, and the service plans available are the same regardless of the retail channel chosen. Bank transfer (business subscriptions) Source: Yota To further simplify the process, customers can choose among a variety of payment options (Source: Yota

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

subscribers to sign up for a plan that includes its mobile operator Going the extra mile: partner. Customers who want to keep their existing mobile plan devices, content and often find this approach irritating. By leaving the smartphone unlocked, Yota did not need to establish applications partnerships or even roaming agreements with cellular operators. Complex plans that bundle WiMAX and cellular services (which While there is only one service plan per device type, customers can typically have different service features, such as traffic allowances) have their pick of devices, ranging from US$65 for a dongle, to were unnecessary. Furthermore, Yota did not need to worry about US$850 for a WiMAX/GSM smartphone, to over US$2,500 for a handoffs between interfaces. Having skirted these barriers, Yota WiMAX-enabled laptop (Table 6). Yota worked with multiple device was able to offer a WiMAX phone at launch. vendors to ensure that, from the beginning, customers would have access to a wide choice of devices. “We work very closely with Despite the funding and efforts devoted to supporting the HTC device vendors, from the design stage all the way to the smartphone, “the WiMAX-connected laptop is the device that will development of applications. This is crucial to the development of dominate in the market,” Ivanov said. While there is a clear the services we bring to the market, as well as a valuable learning increase in the use of smartphones and wireless data, Yota experience,” says Sverdlov. customers prefer to use their laptops as their main device, even though the phone can be used as a modem to provide an internet A device that has attracted international attention in the industry is connection to the laptop. For this reason, Yota strived to work with the WiMAX/GSM phone, which Yota developed with HTC many manufacturers to provide a wide choice for its customers of specifically for the Russian market. The phone was available at over 50 laptop models with a built-in WiMAX module which on launch and is still the only WiMAX/GSM phone available average adds only US$10 to the total cost of the device. To worldwide. Despite the cost, over 35,000 phones have been sold facilitate adoption among laptop users, Yota now offers to install by Yota and its retail partners to date. WiMAX modules in the laptops of new customers.

The phone service plan provides extreme flexibility to the customer and to the service provider. Basically the phone acts as two Table 6. User devices separate devices housed in the same hardware. The customer buys the phone, signs up for Yota service, and then, independently, signs Device type Description and price up for cellular service. To activate the cellular service, the customer Over 50 laptops with built-in WiMAX module simply needs to install the SIM card in the phone. In most cases from Acer, Asus, E-machines, Lenovo, MSI, customers use their existing cellular subscription, and all they have Laptops Samsung, Toshiba (RUB9,990 to RUB75,000; to do is to transfer their current SIM card to the new phone. This US$330 to US$2,500) approach allows customers to keep their mobile plans and simply acquire the additional Yota service on the smartphone. No barrier Smartphone HTC MAX 4G (RUB26,000; US$845) to adoption is created by forcing customers to move to a different Dongle 4G USB Samsung dongle (RUB1,990; US$ 65) operator or a different plan. Yota Egg, Wi-Fi access point with WiMAX The independent GSM interface translates into a huge advantage Desktop modem (RUB5,990; US$195) for Yota, too. Many operators are reluctant to offer modem Asus Mobile WiMAX/Wi-Fi Center WiMAX/cellular phones because cellular operators are (RUB9,500; US$310) competitors, and therefore not interested in establishing a Source: Yota partnership or a roaming relationship with them. Or, because the

WiMAX operator is tied to one mobile operator, it tries to steer

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

Content and applications represent another area in which Yota has who provides support in local market knowledge, authorities’ dedicated substantial effort in multiple directions: relations, legal issues, distribution and retail. According to Ivanov, “a local retail player is an extremely valuable partner . Partnerships with content providers. Paramount, Disney, as it can leverage a deep knowledge of the domestic market Universal, Sony pictures are Yota’s video content partners. to drive adoption.” Yota is the exclusive provider in Russia of digital content from Universal and Disney studios. In addition to the on-demand While the market approach is quite different from that in video service, Yota has a catalogue of over 700,000 music Russia, Yota relied on the experience acquired in its first titles, available to customers for streaming. EMI, Warner market to build the WiMAX network. To facilitate the music, Universal music, Sony music are the main music knowledge transfer, Yota sent a country manager along with partners. According to Yota, this is the largest catalogue of marketing and RF experts to Managua to work with the local digital content in Russia. staff. Yota built its own fiber backhaul first and then added the WiMAX base stations in the RAN. The flat terrain in Managua . Access to content as an integral part of the service plan. made it possible to deploy the network in a very short time— Access to music and selected other content is included in the initial 100% coverage of the city only required the installation basic subscription at no additional charge. of 20 greenfield cell sites. . In-house development of content distribution and . Belarus. Yota has a 60 MHz spectrum allocation in the 2.5 GHz communication applications. Yota Star Lab is the R&D unit of band. It plans to offer service in mid 2010 as a fully owned the service provider tasked to work on the Yota portal and subsidiary. new applications, including a VoIP service to be launched in the near future. . Peru. After recently winning a license in the 2.5 GHz band, Yota plans to roll out services under the Yota brand. As in Nicaragua, Yota plans to retain a controlling equity stake (88%) in the local company. Yota’s expansion to new These three deployments illustrate key strategic principles of Yota’s international expansion. When entering a market, Yota has no markets commitment to replicate the Russian business model. Instead, it develops a new approach, taking into account local specific demand, competition, and performance requirements. Over US$500 million in funding has been earmarked for international rollouts. While Yota is actively exploring opportunities At this time, Yota is primarily interested in partnerships in which it in other markets in CIS, Latin America and Asia, it has announced can retain a controlling role and be responsible for the network three deployments to date: rollout. Spectrum requirements are equally important. Yota is particularly interested in the 2.5 GHz band and will only consider . Nicaragua. In December 2009, three months after the award opportunities in countries where sufficient spectrum is available. of a license in the 2.5 GHz band for 60 MHz of spectrum, Yota Initially it required 30 MHz; but in light of the traffic demand seen announced the soft launch of a network in Managua. During in the Russian market, Yota has reevaluated its position, and the initial stage, the network supports only wireless data requires a minimum 60 MHz of spectrum allocations in order to connectivity, but the addition of VoIP services is expected to enter a market. follow shortly. “Along with mobile high-quality data services, the focus of the service in Nicaragua is on affordable fixed

voice connectivity, for which there is a huge demand in the country.” Yota retains 75% of ownership in the Nicaraguan

operation, with the remaining 25% owned by a local partner

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

. Add capacity to the network and manage the data flows to Looking at the future accommodate the rapidly increasing traffic volume.

. Secure additional funding to expand the network in Moscow Yota has identified and tightly targets an attractive market segment and St. Petersburg, and to meet the goal of 180 cities covered of users who need a ubiquitous broadband connection and who by 2012. are currently underserved both by wireline broadband operators (no mobility) and by cellular operators (insufficient bandwidth . Upgrade to WiMAX Release 2.0 when equipment becomes and/or high per-MB cost). Its proposition of simple, unlimited, available to increase capacity and throughput. mobile access resonates well with this audience, as the impressive . Face increased competition from cellular operators—which growth in the number of customers attests. are expanding and improving 3G service and coverage elsewhere—and from other mobile WiMAX operators. Countering a widespread belief that emerging markets are not yet ready for mobile broadband access, Yota has demonstrated that at . Avoid losing focus in the current markets by overly aggressive least in some of these markets users are willing to pay a premium international expansion plans. for mobility and high-bandwidth connectivity. “People want the Yota has built an innovative business model designed to capitalize freedom that only mobility brings. This is true in every market on the growing demand for mobile broadband access. This model regardless of the availability of wireline broadband,” says Sverdlov. has won the attention of WiMAX operators in both emerging and The results so far prove that this is the case at least in Russia. developed markets. As Yota grows, it will have the opportunity to demonstrate that this model is sustainable—and that it can be Fueled by revenues from customers, Yota reached the operational successfully implemented in other markets. break-even point after only five months of commercial service. Such an achievement is rare for a greenfield service provider. Typically customer acquisition costs are high as the service providers invest heavily in marketing to get a brand established and increase the number of customers.

Will Yota be able to maintain its momentum over the coming years? Several challenges lie ahead:

. Maintain the current growth rate in customers, by successfully moving beyond the early adopters and

addressing the larger, more price-sensitive consumer market.

White Paper More than one Yota of difference

About Senza Fili Consulting

Senza Fili Consulting provides advisory support on wireless data technologies and services. At Senza Fili we have in-depth expertise in financial modeling, market forecasts and research, white paper preparation, business plan support, RFP preparation and management, due diligence, and training. Our client base is international and spans the entire value chain: clients include wireline, fixed wireless and mobile operators, enterprises and other vertical players, vendors, system integrators, investors, regulators, and industry associations.

We provide a bridge between technologies and services, helping our clients assess established and emerging technologies, leverage these technologies to support new or existing services, and build solid, profitable business models. Independent advice, a strong quantitative orientation, and an international perspective are the hallmarks of our work. For additional information, visit www.senzafiliconsulting.com or contact us at [email protected] or +1 425 657 4991.

About the author

This paper was written by Monica Paolini. Monica Paolini is the founder and president of Senza Fili Consulting. She is an expert in wireless technologies and has helped clients worldwide to understand technology and customer requirements, evaluate business plan opportunities, market their services and products, and estimate the market size and revenue opportunity of new and established wireless technologies. She has frequently been invited to give presentations at conferences and has written several reports and articles on wireless broadband technologies. She has a PhD in cognitive science from the University of California, San Diego (US), an MBA from the University of Oxford (UK), and a BA/MA in philosophy from the University of Bologna (Italy). She can be contacted at [email protected].

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